A daring D-Day assault by U.S. Army Rangers is commemorated atop the high cliffs of this strategic point.

A memorial to the nearly 10,000 American soldiers laid to rest on the beaches of Normandy during WWII.

This enormous "cloth of the conquest" depicts the Norman invasion of England in mind-blowing detail.

Remains of the artificial harbours invented for the Allied invasion of Normandy can still be seen at sea.

The opulent home that inspired Tintin's Marlinspike Hall and the adventures within.

Former bridge turned into an observation tower.

This massive blockhead sculpture hides an entire library.

Historic fortifications form the boundary of Vatican City, but it’s not entirely surrounded by walls.

A forgotten and crumbling Yugoslav monument to the victims of fascism.

Yugoslavia's biggest underground airport lies in ruins.

A chain of 16 wondrous lakes formed as a result of the gradual dissolution of soluble layers of bedrock.

An abandoned brutalist monument whose history has been lost to the ages.

A bridge destroyed three times: once as a ruse, then in an actual attack, and finally for the movies.

Legend says if you stick your thumb in the hole and it gets wet your wish will be granted.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

This remarkably well-preserved Egyptian plinth is pretty well traveled for a giant piece of stone.

Two distorted Romanesque columns hold aloft a mine cart in honor of laborers who died during WWII.

On any given day this sprawling market houses literally tons of government-regulated gold, gems, and precious metals.

This indoor ski resort has a mountain contained inside a mall.

A preposterously luxurious hotel with gold-plated iPads, Rolls Royce chauffeurs, and a staff that trains by watching "Downton Abbey."

This ancient structure is widely thought to be the oldest intact pyramid in the world.

A vista of the city and sea from atop the little-known viewing deck on an unassuming Columbus statue.

A copy of the famous statue can be found in this Florence piazza, along with one of the most breathtaking views of the city below.

This Roman amphitheatre was also the location of the first gladiator school.